Controlling the Flies in Your Herd

As the green begins to grow and the weather begins to warm up(hopefully) the fly population slowly makes its way back into your herd. You may not think flies have much affect on your cattle but in reality they can cause your cattle stress that can lead to many other negative things in your herd. According to Dave Boxler, a UNL Extension Educator, there are three fly species to look for in your herd that include horn fly, face fly, and stable fly. The horn fly is the worst blood-feeding pest feeding on your cattle 20-30 times a day which can result in irritation, blood loss, decreased grazing efficiency, reduced weight gains, and a decline in milk production. The face fly is similar to your house fly and is a common agent in the spread of pinkeye which is a common problem among herds. The third is the stable flies which is your common fly around feedlots and are found around the legs of cattle.

Back Rubber

I like the way this article explains the different species of flies and tells how and what they can do to your herd. It is not uncommon to see masses of flies on the different herds of cattle here in the Midwest. Most producers do your standard pour-on before turning out to grass and never do anything else to treat their cattle for the rest of the summer. In our operation, we like to set up dust bags in the usual shaded areas around mid-June so cattle can start finding it for use in July. We also like to place back rubbers on our creep feeders so calves will be exposed to insecticide which seems to help control our pinkeye situation. One new treatment we are thinking about doing this year is using Kent or Purina mineral that has horn fly control in it and testing to see how it works. Other options your may want to do is re-pour your cattle around the first of July which is when you really start to see the fly population increase. Overall, the different species of flies can have a significant effect on your herd and by using some of these simple treatment options I believe it will pay off in the end.